Tableau Clous (1970) by Bernard Aubertin

Bernard Aubertin

A dense monochrome field of saturated red is punctuated by an ordered constellation of iron nails, their heads articulating a low relief that animates the surface with measured rhythm and light. Driven at regular intervals across the support, the clous transform the painting into a tactile matrix: metallic highlights flare and recede against the red ground, while the physical penetration of the nails compresses and stresses the plane, converting color into structure. Aubertin’s calibrated spacing and depth produce a vibratory optical effect—an austere but sensorial choreography in which repetition, seriality, and the elemental force of red cohere into a rigorously constructed relief painting.Created in 1961, this Tableau Clous is an early-period work from the moment Aubertin expanded his Tableaux Rouges into relief and action, aligning with the ZERO movement’s postwar reset toward clarity and phenomena. In dialogue with contemporaries exploring monochrome and material processes (from Yves Klein’s chromatic absolutism to the serial reliefs that define ZERO’s vocabulary), Aubertin’s nails enact a zero-degree of painting: gesture yields to procedure, and light, surface, and time become the true agents of form—a position that presages his Combustions and fire paintings while retaining the disciplined intensity of Minimal Art. Documented under the archival reference TCLR16-1000395423 and emerging from a Private Collection in Italy, the work bears strong provenance and scholarly traceability; works from this cycle have been contextualized in international museum surveys of ZERO and are present in public collections. For collectors, an early 1961 nail painting represents a significant example from the artist’s definitive period and a museum-grade acquisition within the canon of European avant-garde relief and monochrome. An elemental monochrome animated by serial relief, the work crystallizes Aubertin’s zero-degree painting at the moment of its emergence.

Bernard Aubertin

Bernard Aubertin’s Dessin de Feu Circulaire (1971) presents a disciplined circular inscription wrought directly by flame on a metal support: a ring of matchsticks was meticulously aligned and ignited so that heat and combustion drew the work’s form. The industrial surface registers the event—scorched halos, subtle oxidations, and residues of char—while the surviving fragments of matches punctuate the circumference with a cadence of blackened and ashen intervals. As in Aubertin’s most rigorous actions of fire, the artist establishes the structure and the material conditions, and then yields the completion of the drawing to energy itself; here, the circle becomes both geometry and process, a controlled locus for entropy and time.Created in 1971, the work belongs to Aubertin’s mid-career consolidation of his fire practice, extending the ZERO movement’s pursuit of a “zero-degree” of painting into a phenomenology of heat, risk, and chance. Emerging from his Tableaux Rouges and match reliefs of the early 1960s—and catalyzed by Yves Klein’s monochromes and the experimental ethos shared with Lucio Fontana—Aubertin’s Dessins de Feu formalize the act of combustion as drawing, with the circular motif resonating as a sign of origin, void, and return. With provenance to Galleria Centro and Galleria Dalìano Ribani, and documented in the artist’s archive under DFEA17-1000199523, the piece carries strong institutional-ready credentials; works from this fire corpus have been repeatedly contextualized in museum surveys of ZERO and postwar European avant-garde. A museum-grade example of Aubertin’s definitive “fire painting” method, this documented 1971 Dessin de Feu offers collectors a rare, collection-worthy articulation of process at the threshold of material and time, where the circle anchors the zero-degree of image and event.

Zao Wou-Ki (赵无极)

A luminous and evocative lithograph by Zao Wou-Ki, Paysage abstrait en bleu et rouge beautifully captures the interplay of colour, light, and space that defines the artist’s mature abstract style. Created in 1989, this original lithograph is signed in pencil by the artist and comes from a limited edition of only 75 impressions. Medium & Support: Original lithograph on Vélin Arches paper (71/75) Sight size: approx. 60 × 47 cm Framed in gilt moulding: approx. 77 × 65 cm overall Catalogue Reference: Agerup #338 Condition: Excellent — the print is extremely well preserved; the frame shows only minor wear. Why This Piece Matters Artistic Mastery: The work exemplifies Zao Wou-Ki’s renowned balance between Eastern calligraphic tradition and Western lyrical abstraction. The deep blues and fiery reds create an atmospheric composition that bridges cultures. Rarity: Limited to 75 copies, this edition is increasingly hard to find on the secondary market. Prestige: Zao Wou-Ki is one of the most celebrated Chinese-French painters of the 20th century, with works held in leading institutions and consistently achieving record results at major auctions. Special Note for Asian Collectors Zao Wou-Ki holds a particularly strong resonance in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, where his works frequently headline major auctions at Christie’s and Sotheby’s. The demand for signed limited-edition lithographs has grown significantly as collectors seek more accessible entry points into his market while larger canvases achieve multi-million-dollar results. For collectors in Asia: This piece offers an excellent balance of affordability and rarity, making it an ideal addition for both seasoned investors and emerging collectors. Its compact format makes it suitable for private collections or corporate art spaces in Asia’s dynamic markets. Secure international shipping and documentation of authenticity ensure ease of acquisition.